Windhorse
Imports
Tibetan art and Buddhist ritual objects
PO Box 2687, Swindon SN4 7ZQ, United Kingdom
Tel: 01793 855839
Email: sales@windhorse.co.uk
How to set up a shrine
Simple Shrine
Elaborate Shrine
All Buddhist traditions use a
shrine as a reminder and focal point for meditation. It represents the
Buddha, so offerings are placed on it. Some traditions are more elaborate
than others. The Tibetan, for example, is more ornate than the Zen or
Theravadin.
The essentials in every
tradition are as follows:
The right
space. The best is a room (an attic is perfect) which is used for nothing
else. Otherwise a quiet corner in a bedroom, sitting room or study is
okay. Arrange it so it can be closed up or sectioned off when the room is
used for other purposes. The shrine itself should be higher than one’s
head when seated.
An image or
representation of the Buddha. This is usually a statue, of the best
quality one can afford.
Offerings of
water, light, flowers and incense.
Types of Shrine
THERAVADIN: A simple
Theravadin-style shrine is a single platform with a picture or image of the
Buddha, flowers on either side, a set of candles in front and a pot of
incense in front of that.
ZEN: A Zen shrine has an
image of the Buddha at centre back; water and food offerings in bowls placed
in front; incense in front of that, a candle (or light) on the right,
flowers on the left .
TIBETAN: An elaborate Tibetan
shrine has three levels.
The highest
has an image of the Buddha in the centre with an image of Guru Rinpoche
(the Tantric Buddha of Tibet) on the left (as you stand facing the
shrine), and Chenresig (the deity of compassion) on the right. A photo of
one’s personal guru may be included here.
The second
level has dharma texts in the centre, a yidam such as Vajra Yogini on the
left, and a protector (Mahakala) on the right. A bell and vajra and a
stupa may be included here.
At the lowest
level are the seven offering bowls representing water (one for washing,
one for drinking), flowers, incense, light, food and music. A mandala to
represent an offering of the universe to the Buddhas is often placed here.